May 3
1 Chronicles 23:1-25:31
God is creating a temple made up of all of us, His living stones, which are being fit together (1 Peter 2:5). God is creating a beautiful tapestry in which we are a thread in the bigger picture. Are we willing to serve Him and be part of this beautiful design? Have we elevated ourselves to believe that we are the main part of this temple or tapestry? Because, though we are able to be used by God in service to Him, this life is not about us, but about HIm. Francis Chan in his book, Crazy Love, wrote this, "Suppose you are an extra in an upcoming movie. You will probably scrutinize that one scene where hundreds of people are milling around, just waiting for that two-fifths of a second when you can see the back of your head. Maybe your mom and your closest friend get excited about that two-fifths of a second with you...maybe. But no one else will realize it is you. Even if you tell them, they won't care. Let's take it a step further. What if you rent out the theater on opening night and invite all your friends and family to come see the new movie about you? People will say, "You're an idiot! How could you think this movie is about you? Many Christians are even more delusional than the person I've been describing. So many of us think and live like the movie of life is about us...From start to finish, the movie is obviously about God. He is the main character. How is it possible that we live as though it is about us? Our scenes in the movie, our brief lives, fall somewhere between the time Jesus ascends into heaven (Acts) and when we will all worship God on His throne in heaven (Revelation). We have only our two-fifths-of-a-second-long scene to live. I don't know about you, but I want my two-fifths of a second to be about my making much of God."
In this portion of Scripture with another long list of names, you might recognize a name here or there. But for the most part, though they were important then, these names have been blurred over time in the long history of the world. But though history might not remember them, God certainly does, as each individual did his or her part in God's story on earth. In 1 Chronicles 25:1, we read, "Moreover David and the captains of the army separated for service some of the sons of Asaph, of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, stringed instruments, and cymbals." The word prophesy can mean foretelling, but it can also mean forth telling. Many were not given the task through visions and dreams by God of describing detailed events in the future like Isaiah and Jeremiah. But all of God's children are able to speak forth the truths about God to a world that largely doesn't know HIm. When we get to chapter 26, and the family of Obed-Edom, they were described as "able men" and were used in the service of God.
So, what are our gifts? God has given each child of God one or more gifts in order to serve Him. These are not important or unimportant gifts. They are all given to us not to glorify ourselves or garner attention for ourselves, but to glorify Him, if we realize that we can each become part of God's beautiful temple and tapestry. We read in 1 Corinthians 10:31, "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." We read in Matthew 5:16, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." God has chosen each of us for a reason. Those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior have been placed in the "Book of Life". This is a long list of names of those who belong to Him. The importance is not where we fall on this list, but that we are on this list. May we see our lives as not being about ourselves but about Him, and serve Him wholeheartedly in whatever capacity He has delineated for us.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: